Itchy
Homer attempts to build Marge a spice rack. While he is doing so, Maggie sneaks up and hits Homer on the head with a mallet. Marge is at first clueless as to why Maggie would do such a thing, but Maggie sees an episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show, a cartoon which is known for its violence, and tries to stab Homer with a pencil. Marge immediately blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions and bans Bart and Lisa from watching the show. Despite the ban, Bart and Lisa still manage to watch Itchy & Scratchy at friends houses. Marge writes a letter to the producers of the show asking them to tone down their violence and in response, Roger Meyers, Jr. (the CEO of Itchy & Scratchy International) writes a letter to Marge, telling her one person can not make a difference and calls her a "screwball." In response, Marge decides to "show what one screwball can do!" Marge forms "Springfieldians for Nonviolence, Understanding, and Helping" (SNUH) and forces the family to picket outside the Itchy & Scratchy Studios. Unknown to her, Bart and Lisa have been sneaking off to their friend's houses to watch the shows, under the guise of 'playing sports,' or 'making the most of their childhood years.' Marge's protest gains momentum and soon more people join the group and even start to picket The Krusty the Klown Show, on which Itchy & Scratchy is shown. Marge appears on Kent Brockman's show, Smartline where she confronts Roger Meyers over the violence and suggests that concerned parents send letters to Meyers. Enough angry letters to fill enough truck to line up down the street are sent to the Studio, one of which says that the writer won't even stop if they see Meyers crossing the street. Roger Meyers admits defeat, and agrees to eliminate violence in Itchy & Scratchy. Eventually after angrily consulting with Marge over the phone, the first of the new shorts is released, in which Itchy & Scratchy sit on a porch drinking lemonade making small talk. Marge finds the cartoon to be better, but Bart, Lisa, and the other kids across Springfield reject the cleaned-up show. A lengthy montage follows, in which the children of Springfield go outside (rubbing their eyes as though they'd never seen sunlight) and engage in various wholesome activities and that night Bart and Lisa brag about their various outdoor activities while Marge listens happily. Meanwhile, Michelangelo's David goes on a coast-to-coast tour of the U.S. and will stop in Springfield. The members of SNUH urge Marge to protest the sculpture, insisting that the sculpture is offensive and unsuitable. However, Marge an artist herself argues that the sculpture is a masterpiece. Dr. Marvin Monroe capitalises on this hypocrisy and asks Marge how she can believe that it wrong to censor one form of art but not another, to which Marge is forced to admit that she can't and admits defeat. She decides to give up her anti-cartoon violence protest. Itchy & Scratchy immediately returns to its old form and Springfield's children abandon their wholesome activities. Homer and Marge go to see David and Marge expresses her disappointment that the kids are watching cartoons rather than seeing the sculpture. She cheers up when Homer tells her that the school will be forcing them to go. Category:Episodes Category:The Simpsons Episodes